Page 26 of The Lost Art of Seducing a Mage Warrior

A quick pass by the mirror in the water closet ensured that he looked presentable, worlds away from the unkempt version that had graced the hallway yesterday morning. Astonishing what a bath, his own clothes, and some really good sex could do to a man. He took a few minutes to redo the beads and braids in his hair, picking dark red ones that matched the red in the pattern on his vest. He’d chosen one of his nicer vests and coats, and he was pleased with the results. Perian grinned at himself in the mirror and then headed out to face the world.

He had no particular destination in mind, so he wandered, determined to prove he could manage on his own. He wound up in the library, where he browsed the huge collection, came up with dozens of titles that he wanted to read, and then realized that he hadn’t asked Brannal if it was acceptable to remove books from the room. Perian would wait and check.

He spent the rest of the morning reading tucked up in one of the window embrasures, enjoying the cozy spot lit by the natural light of the quadrangle. It reminded him of days spent at home when his father had still been alive. It felt a little dangerous to be so content in a situation that was so transient, but he decided he would enjoy it while he had it. Even if it ended tomorrow, he would have these happy memories moving forward.

He closed the book in his lap with a snap. Time for another new experience. He tucked the handful of books he’d selected to the side of the window embrasure in the hope that they’d still be here when he confirmed if he was allowed to borrow them.

Perian wanted to enjoy the sun that had been so appealing on the other side of the window, and as his stomach gurgled, he decided he could meet both needs. With only a little wandering, he found the kitchen. Although it was a hive of activity, the staff didn’t act as though his request for a solo meal was unusual or an imposition, and in short order, Perian was armed with a basket full of food, and he managed to find his way out to the quadrangle.

Spring was here, and the breeze was refreshing, especially after being inside for so long. Perian could hear the rhythmic sounds of thumping and shouts that suggested there were Warriors training. Through the screening trees to his right, he caught glimpses of them but decided the lure of nature was more appealing at the moment.

From the library window, he’d seen that the quadrangle was quartered by main paths, with training yards and gardens opposite one another. The quadrangle was huge, and the vegetation in the garden large and lush enough that he couldn’t see from one side to the other, although the castle walls towered over everything. He took another path as soon as it presented itself and soon the garden completely surrounded him.

The sounds of the training yard faded. He could hear birds in the trees and insects buzzing. There was the sound of trickling water, and the path Perian was on turned into a little footbridge that went over crystal-clear water where fish were swimming. He laughed in delight. He understood what a quadrangle was, of course, but part of his mind still wanted to insist this was a garden inside a castle. Whoever had designed it all was a genius.

Perian kept walking, not sure what he was looking for but hoping he would know it when he found it. The path meandered past more trees, past flowerbeds that were coming to life thanks to the spring sun, and Perian felt himself relax more and more as he walked. There were parks and green areas in the city, but not to match the land around Perian’s home in the country. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed it.

At some point, his feet strayed off the path entirely. He found himself deep in the midst of the garden in front of a large evergreen bush. It was perhaps twice as tall as he was and shaped like a pyramid, the sides sloping up into a blunted point. From where Perian was standing off the path, he could see that on the side facing him, almost obscured by another bush, the greenery didn’t look as uniform as elsewhere. Curious, Perian moved to the side, where he realized that the bush actually had two layers rather than being one solid mass of growth, and there was a narrow gap between them.

Because Perian was nosy and curious, he sucked in his breath and did his best to wiggle through the opening.

He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but what hefoundwas a little girl.

The hedge had been shaped inside and out, although the inside looked less strictly maintained. It was clearly a deliberately made space. There was grass, moss, and other small green plants carpeting the ground, and there was even a small two-seater bench tucked on the opposite side from where Perian had entered, and that’s where the little girl was sitting.

She was perhaps somewhere between ten and fourteen (Perian was not an expert in children), and if she was out here alone, perhaps she wanted solitude as much as Perian did. Perian was going to retreat, only the look on her face, something about the sag of her shoulders… She looked sad, a bit small and fragile, and now Perian had interrupted her, pushing into her private space.

She had a cluster of orange and blue beads to identify her gender in her dark hair, all of which was braided and arranged in a complicated style. Her eyes were a beautiful dark gray, but there were circles under them. Her dress was orange with blue trim and looked fine enough that Perian was glad he’d dressed nicely, although even the fine fabric couldn’t hide her thinness. He didn’t think she was altogether well.

“Hello,” Perian said. “Do you mind if I join you?” He lofted the picnic basket. “I was just looking for somewhere to eat lunch.”

He hovered, waiting to see what she said. If she told him that she wanted to be alone, then of course, he would respect her wishes. She considered him for what felt like an unnaturally long time, but then she suddenly nodded. He approached the bench and was about to sit down when she spoke sharply.

“No!”

He froze.

“My brother’s sitting there,” she told him.

He stepped away from the bench. “I beg your pardon. I didn’t realize.” He gestured at the ground in front of her. “Here all right?”

Her head tilted slightly to one side, and then her lips tipped up faintly, erasing some of the look of fatigue from her face.

“There is fine.”

Perian sat down in the best grassy section he could find not too far from her little feet. He began to pull things out of the basket and unwrap them.

“I’m Perian, by the way,” he told her.

“Renny,” she said, eying him carefully.

He wasn’t sure if he was doing something weird—were there special rules about children that he didn’t know about?—but decided that given how she’d yelled at him about her brother’s spot, she probably wasn’t shy.

“Nice to meet you, Renny,” he said, figuring good manners had to work for children as well as adults. “How are you today?”

She glowered at him. Truly, she had a very impressive glower for someone so young. Perian made a face.

“Was that not—” He cut off, trying to figure out what he wanted to say. He started over. “All right, I’m just going to be honest with you. I haven’t spent much time with children. If I’m doing something wrong, just tell me.”

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